Artis Highlights II

A.W. Prince | BearTerritory.net Senior Writer

One of the more impressive young players in the Bay Area is Salesian high school point guard prospect Dominic Artis. Despite being three full years away from beginning his college career, the 5-foot-8 baller who helped lead the Pride to the 2008-09 California D-IV state championship, is a star in the making.

Based upon watching a number of times during his freshman season, plus over the current summer, Artis has our nod as the top point guard in the 2012 class. We recently named him one of the Top 5 prospects at Cal's annual Team Camp, which was held just two weeks ago.

What makes his game standout, both at Salesian high and as the point man for the Drew Gooden/Oakland Soldiers?

Despite his youth, Artis flat out knows how to control a game. He makes great decisions with the ball in his hands, and already shows a firm commitment to enhance his game.

"I guess growing up, I watched a lot of Allen Iverson," Artis said about the player's he modeled his game after. "But when I got to Salesian, my coach showed me a lot of tapes of Jason Kidd. I love how he seems to see the game so differently and makes everyone around him better.

"That's big to me."

Artis is adept at pulling the string on defenders, getting them to press when he's ready to accelerate and step back when he's about to fade. He's an impressive talent to say the least.

The point man for the Pride, Artis, whom we dubbed the "Babyface Killer" because of his youthful looks and his killer jump-shot, looks as young as current Cal point guard star Jerome Randle did before he arrived in Berkeley. Both being point guards, as well as big Iverson fans, it is no surprise the two have struck up a friendship.

"Yeah, I met him for the first time at the Elite Camp, and now we talk here and there," Artis said, regarding Randle. "He's a cool guy, and he told me to come up there and work out and play pick-up games.

"That was cool to hear, as I respect his game a lot. And I'd love to have his job someday, running the point at Cal."